St. Landry democrat., 1887-06-18

time when it should be preparing for re-
freshing sleep.
Summer breakfasts are not wanting in ma
terial The difficulty is that it is not of the
right kind and even when it is, is not Sc
lected or prepared with sufficient care mol
served under conditions most favorable to its
assimilation and enjoyment. The windows
| of house should be opened early on sum.
mer mornings, the necessary busting noise
lessly done, the table laid with care and
| nicely, a few fresh flowers and a geranium
leaf or two added to its equipment and q
| shining finish put on the service with fine
linen towel. 1t is just as cheap now to have
pretty service of blue and white chinaware
as plain white, or dull, uncheerful color,
One may also, without extravaganza use a
dish of amber glass for berries and jug to
match for the cream-for fruit is the key
nete of a summer breakfast; and if it is a
question of fruit or meat, dispense with the
meat, but not with the fruit.
Meat, indeed, is not at all essential to a
summer breakfast. 1t is not Objectionable,
of course, for those who like it in the form
of delicate lamb chops, thinly cut, and lightly
broiled sugar-cured ham, with broiled
chicken, or even a very well-made mince of
veal or mutton upon thin slices of toast.
But with some it is question of cost, so
closely narrowed down that it must be Peter
or Paul-it cannot be both. Then it becomes
aquestion with many of amount of nutri-
ment, and those who cannot afford both
meat and fruit will decide in favor of meat
as nutritive necessity, while fruit is a
luxury" But this idea is subject to modi-
fication. Meat more than once day is not
nutritive necessity. Fruit, plenty of it, at
least once in the day-and the best time is
the morning-is a hygienic necessity.
Nutrition can be obtained from things
besides meat Meat is the most costly
of food, and no other nation in the
world uses it to the extent that Americans
do. Yet there are others that are
physically stronger and less liable to
wasting disease. The truth IS we eliminate
too much from our grains, and we tax the
power ofthe system with too much concen-
trated food and too little air. We have fine
white bread, but it is bread from which all
the phosphates have been taken, which just
keeps body and soul together, but does notre-
store the tissues of nerve, or brain, or muscle
After one has eaten good bread made from
whole wheat flour for year, or even SIX
months, white bread -four from which all the
bran has been taken will seem like starva-
ton, absolutely poor and tasteles. Yet it is
almost impossible to find this bread. 1t is
very rarely that baker makes it; still more
rarely that he makes and bakes it well.
have never known any clearinghouse to
have it and but one or two families.
A variety of bread, such as warm Graham
rolls, or gems" corn mullins, rice cakes
and toast made from whole meal bread, is
most inviting upon the breakfast table. Add
to this, cream, a dish of poached or soft
boiled eggs, another of well-boiled hominy
or oatmeal and dish of strawberries, white
and red currants, peaches, baked pears or
stewed apples and excellent coffee, and no
one will complain that anything is lacking
in such breakfast
Water-cress in the spring and summer is
brought freely to market and sold cheap-ten
cents for large quart-and this makes dish
for six or eight in family. Water-cress is not
particularly nutritious, but it is very piquant
and appetizing and is good, even to look at
A dish of cool, fresh water-cresses, with
centre of crisp red and white radishes, makes
a charming bit of color on the breakfast ia
BILE and gives relish to every other item Of
the bill OF fare.
A dish of fruit, a dish of water-cress and
radishes or water-cress alone occupy the ends
of our ideal breakfast table.
In the centre is a dish of hot and we'll
boiled hominy, or oatmeal, with jug of
cream by the bowls in which it is to be
served. There is a rose of rare, sweet butter,
a tray Of warm Graham rolls, plate of light,
whole meal bread toast and now the maid is
bringing in the fragrant coffee, and platter
of delicate Frenched chops. By and by she
will take this platter away remove the
plates, and bring in some light and tender
rice cakes tor those who like them. The
room is shaded, the chat and the laugh go
round, everybody is punctual, for breakfast |
is something not to be missed-it is the begin
ming of good everyday as well as Sunday.
How much we miss of the blessing
that life holds for us, by not search
ing for it, by not working for it, by being |
dissatisfied with ourselves until we have |
found it 1t is a fatal mistake to try to find
it by cultivating dissatisfaction with others.
Let us begin with ourselves and see how
it will work. Begin with the day-begin by
on the breakfast to which we in
vite our own family every day of our lives.
The summer holds out its hands in rich pro-
fusion to us. 1t brings fruits in one, flowers
in the other. Let us put as much of their
beauty and goodness as possible into our own
lives and into the lives of those about us.
Let the summer breakfast at home be a
memory which will set it apart as something
worthy its sacred name, not misery from
which everyone was glad tofiy. Study to COM
oine the proper articles for a meal just as you
would the proper colors for dress, and do
1ot have them all of kind, so that some of
he family will have nothing that they can
lat. have seen a woman put salt fish be-
ore her large family for breakfast, scraps of
alt ham for lunch and boiled corned beef
md salt pork for dinner, all upon the same
lay; so that at least one, who had been or
Tered not to eat salt food at all, was obliged
0 go to restaurant at night to find some
hing to allay hunger.
Thoughtfulness and consideration are es-
entail in housekeeper-in one who has in
Ter keeping the physical and moral welfare
f others. For how much Of the morality of
fe depends upon the proper and healthful
upply of the physical necessities! Good and
ealthful food is the best cure for drunken
2. la,,L+c,1 o1,ar r,oy,